Is It Salmonella?

The pistachio nut recall in March 2009 is only one example of numerous product recalls in recent years due to fears of contracting Salmonellafood poisoning. Similarly, this year products processed by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) were found to be the source of a Salmonella outbreak. In 2008, an outbreak arose from the consumption of certain jalapeño and serrano peppers from Mexico. As these and numerous other outbreaks illustrate, virtually any food can become contaminated with one of the many species of Salmonella.

Salmonella is a bacterial infection that is passed to humans from animals, including poultry, cattle, pigs, and domestic animals. Eating undercooked poultry and drinking unpasteurized milk are among the ways humans can acquire the infection. But increasing media coverage has focused on vegetable products as the source of many Salmonella outbreaks. When vegetables or fruits are the source of an outbreak, it means that these products have been handled unsafely, such as processing or preparation on surfaces that have become contaminated with animal feces or raw poultry. Another way for vegetables to become contaminated is by an infected food handler.